In the architecture and outwardly visible design of many plural-story buildings, decorative (and otherwise functional) roof-rimming parapet, or cornice/parapet, structure is often employed. Such structure is normally made to be intentionally ornamental, and may also function as structure which additionally visually obscures, from ground (or other)-level lateral view, building equipment infrastructure, such as heating and air-conditioning, etc. equipment, mounted on the roof top surface, or plane, of a building. Such parapet structure, which is also referred to herein as a parapet roof rim, may also serve conveniently and importantly as a personnel guard wall along a roof's edge/perimeter.
The present invention generally concerns such parapet structure, or parapet roof-rim structure, and more specifically, parapet structure which is designed into the form of modular parapet units which can be pre-designed to have various different decorative profiles and appearances (configurations), and which can quickly, conveniently, easily and changeably, be “hung” and stabilized by gravity adjacent the rim of a building's roof structure to provide all of the parapet functions mentioned above, and more.
In general terms, the modular parapet units which are proposed by the present invention “fit” categorically into elongate, modular configurations which can be characterized as (a) being straight and linear, (b) possessing an inside corner (typically about 90 degrees) configuration, and (c) possessing an outside corner (typically about 270-degrees) configuration. The modular parapet structure of this invention is, of course, and with respect to angular configurations, not confined to the two specific corner configurations just generally mentioned.
As will be seen, in addition to the various conventional parapet functions which are furnished by the modular structure of this invention, also furnished very conveniently by the invention is the opportunity for ready modular pre-design of parapet units of virtually any appropriate outside appearance, which units can be prepared for installation in a building construction. Additionally offered by the present invention is an opportunity for selective changing from time to time of the effective appearance of a building, simply through the easily implemented practice of changing the specific gravity-hung parapet structure per se.
The units of this modular invention, while very appropriately hung and stabilized by gravity, preferably in such a fashion that inwardly and downwardly directed vectors which produce angular moments tend to hold the hung units against the supporting building structure with which they dock, can also be positively locked against inadvertent removal in any one of a number of different, preferably reversible/undoable manners.
As will be seen, one interesting feature of one characteristic embodiment of the invention is that certain interconnecting components of the proposed parapet structure can function to lock between them sheets of moisture-barriering flashing structure to provide excellent weather sealing around and along a building's roof-rim perimeter.
The various features and advantages which are offered and attained by the present invention will now become more fully apparent as the description which follows below is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.